SCP/TAPS proteins of the barber’s pole worm. This integrated, collaborative project, will explore, in a targeted way, the structure and function of a key group of molecules in a socio-economically important eukaryotic pathogen and their involvement in pathogen-host interactions. Fundamental knowledge and understanding of these molecules will provide a solid foundation for understanding disease processes and finding new intervention strategies for a range of pathogens. This is crucial, given the ....SCP/TAPS proteins of the barber’s pole worm. This integrated, collaborative project, will explore, in a targeted way, the structure and function of a key group of molecules in a socio-economically important eukaryotic pathogen and their involvement in pathogen-host interactions. Fundamental knowledge and understanding of these molecules will provide a solid foundation for understanding disease processes and finding new intervention strategies for a range of pathogens. This is crucial, given the serious drug resistance problems in pathogens, and residue problems in meat, milk and the environment.Read moreRead less
Infrakingdom Alveolata: searching for a defining structural feature. This project will establish the first molecular nexus between a cellular structure currently used to define an Infrakingdom of life. It will aid in the higher order systematics of our microscopic diversity and allow us to interpret how important parasites learned to penetrate host cells to establish infection. We will train excellent graduate and Honours students in cellular and molecular biology.
Statistical methods for detection of non-coding RNAs in eukaryote genomes. Understanding how eukaryotic cells work is a major goal of 21st century biology. A crucial step will be to catalogue the functional components of eukaryotic genomes. Australian researchers must be involved in this process at an early stage, in order to maximise commercial opportunities, attract quality researchers and position ourselves for further advances. This project will make major contributions to international effo ....Statistical methods for detection of non-coding RNAs in eukaryote genomes. Understanding how eukaryotic cells work is a major goal of 21st century biology. A crucial step will be to catalogue the functional components of eukaryotic genomes. Australian researchers must be involved in this process at an early stage, in order to maximise commercial opportunities, attract quality researchers and position ourselves for further advances. This project will make major contributions to international efforts in this area, via the development of statistical methods for segmenting genomes, classification of those segments, and study of the resulting classes. In the long term, enhanced understanding of eukaryotic cells will lead to breakthroughs in biology, and to medical, pharmaceutical, agricultural and scientific advances.Read moreRead less
Testing the free radical theory of aging: do indicators of oxidative damage predict lifespan? Because of the Free Radical Theory of Aging, many millions of dollars are spent around the world on dietary antioxidants of unproven efficacy. Many millions of research dollars are spent providing support for this theory but few studies test it rigorously. The first major benefit of this research is worldwide; to refute, or to substantially enhance and focus the current support for the Free Radical Theo ....Testing the free radical theory of aging: do indicators of oxidative damage predict lifespan? Because of the Free Radical Theory of Aging, many millions of dollars are spent around the world on dietary antioxidants of unproven efficacy. Many millions of research dollars are spent providing support for this theory but few studies test it rigorously. The first major benefit of this research is worldwide; to refute, or to substantially enhance and focus the current support for the Free Radical Theory. This should help to rationalise and direct funding supplied to these areas. The second benefit is for Australia: aging is a fruitful area for research because of the high general public interest and for training because of its multidisciplinary nature, and funding in Australia is very low by international standards. Read moreRead less
Mathematical modelling in developmental biology. Modern observational techniques in biology and medicine generate a wealth of genetic and molecular detail. Mathematical modelling integrates and synthesises this information to provide insight into how complex biological processes are coupled to produce experimentally observed behaviour. Mathematical modelling generates experimentally testable predictions that can be used to verify the validity of the models. This program is dedicated to exciting ....Mathematical modelling in developmental biology. Modern observational techniques in biology and medicine generate a wealth of genetic and molecular detail. Mathematical modelling integrates and synthesises this information to provide insight into how complex biological processes are coupled to produce experimentally observed behaviour. Mathematical modelling generates experimentally testable predictions that can be used to verify the validity of the models. This program is dedicated to exciting opportunities for advancing our knowledge of normal and abnormal developmental processes, especially in embryonic growth. Understanding these processes will lead to prediction and treatment of congenital disorders and contribute to a healthy start to life. Read moreRead less
Numerical simulation of the fish-like swimming of linked bodies. Although Zoologists have made detailed observations of swimming fish there are still many unanswered questions about how they swim. We do not know how the fins and undulating body work together to produce the high speed of the tuna, or the fast turns of a fish escaping danger. We see dolphins swim through the sea's surface but we don't know if they do that because it is much more efficient. This project is designed to simulate arb ....Numerical simulation of the fish-like swimming of linked bodies. Although Zoologists have made detailed observations of swimming fish there are still many unanswered questions about how they swim. We do not know how the fins and undulating body work together to produce the high speed of the tuna, or the fast turns of a fish escaping danger. We see dolphins swim through the sea's surface but we don't know if they do that because it is much more efficient. This project is designed to simulate arbitrary fish motion and give answers to these and other questions concerning swimming. It may also help humans to swim more efficiently and provide simulation tools for the design of robotic undersea vehicles.Read moreRead less
Megafauna and mega-extinction: assessing palaeocommunity change using dental complexity and shape analyses. This research will address an important issue of national interest - the causes of the extinction of the Australian megafauna. By furthering research on the causes of this historic event, valuable insights will be gained into possible causes of current extinction events and the future impact of climate change. It will bring to Australia new technologies and methods developed overseas by an ....Megafauna and mega-extinction: assessing palaeocommunity change using dental complexity and shape analyses. This research will address an important issue of national interest - the causes of the extinction of the Australian megafauna. By furthering research on the causes of this historic event, valuable insights will be gained into possible causes of current extinction events and the future impact of climate change. It will bring to Australia new technologies and methods developed overseas by an Australian researcher, and put Australia at the forefront of several areas of research including 3D scanning and analysis. This project will form part of an international collaboration called the MorphoBrowser, an exciting advance in the study of biological diversity. This will help maintain Australia as a pre-eminent country for palaeontology research.Read moreRead less
How beetles harness near-infrared properties to enhance energy efficiency. This project aims to discover how animals use nanophotonic structures to manipulate near infra-red light for thermal control and visual information. Almost nothing is currently known about the mechanism, function and evolution of near-infrared properties in animals, despite their potential importance for maintaining body temperatures within the critical thermal limits for survival. The project uses multidisciplinary techn ....How beetles harness near-infrared properties to enhance energy efficiency. This project aims to discover how animals use nanophotonic structures to manipulate near infra-red light for thermal control and visual information. Almost nothing is currently known about the mechanism, function and evolution of near-infrared properties in animals, despite their potential importance for maintaining body temperatures within the critical thermal limits for survival. The project uses multidisciplinary techniques from optical physics, physiology and evolutionary biology to reveal near-infrared adaptations in socially and economically important Christmas beetles. The intended outcomes include a bio-informed blueprint for a new class of functional nanomaterials that enhance energy efficiency.Read moreRead less
Membrane structure and lipid interactions of the pore-forming toxin Equinatoxin II by NMR. The structure of Equinatoxin II, a pore-forming protein, will be determined in model cell membranes using solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The relationship of molecular structure to bioactivity and the nature of the pore-forming mechanism of this toxin will be determined. The results will aid in understanding how toxins lyse cells and could lead to the design of improved antibiotic peptides. Currently the st ....Membrane structure and lipid interactions of the pore-forming toxin Equinatoxin II by NMR. The structure of Equinatoxin II, a pore-forming protein, will be determined in model cell membranes using solid-state NMR spectroscopy. The relationship of molecular structure to bioactivity and the nature of the pore-forming mechanism of this toxin will be determined. The results will aid in understanding how toxins lyse cells and could lead to the design of improved antibiotic peptides. Currently the structure of membrane proteins are difficult to determine and the newly developed techniques used for the structural determination of this membrane-associated protein will be suitable for studying other membrane proteins and receptors of pharmaceutical importance.Read moreRead less
Elucidating a key developmental switch in Haemonchus contortus using a massively parallel picolitre reactor sequencing-coupled genomic and bioinformatic platform. The national/community benefits of this project include enhanced focus on animal and human health biotechnology through the development of safe anti-parasite compounds/vaccines; improved and sustainable control of key parasites with decreased risk of induction of drug resistance; increased profitability of agricultural animal productio ....Elucidating a key developmental switch in Haemonchus contortus using a massively parallel picolitre reactor sequencing-coupled genomic and bioinformatic platform. The national/community benefits of this project include enhanced focus on animal and human health biotechnology through the development of safe anti-parasite compounds/vaccines; improved and sustainable control of key parasites with decreased risk of induction of drug resistance; increased profitability of agricultural animal production; consolidation of a technology platform for further applications in genomics and post-genomics of pathogens of global significance and construction of a pipeline for the validation of drug targets; capturing the benefits from fundamental research and strengthening links between fundamental and applied research; and increasing the quality and quantity of scientifically skilled people in biotechnology.Read moreRead less